Improvement in attachments for assisting in the operation of a sewing-machine treadle



s B. UNDERWOOD.

Attachment for Assisting in the Operation of a Sewing-Machine Treadle.

No. 213,713. Patented Mar. 25,1879.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

- WITNESSES: flp

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH B. UNDERWOOD, OF FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT lN ATTACHMENTS FOR ASSISTING IN THE OPERATION OF ASEWING-MACHINETREADLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 213,713, dated March25, 1879; application filed February 7, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH B. UNDER- WOOD, of Fayetteville, in thecounty of (Jumberland and State of North Carolina, have invented a newand Improved Attachment for Assisting in the Operation of aSewing-Machine Treadle; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a sectional view of a chair and sewing-machine, showing theapplication of the device for connecting the two. Fig. 2 is a detailperspective view of the devices for clamping the chair.

My invention relates to an attachment for a sewing-machine treadle,arranged to connect with the chair in which the operator is seated insuch a manner that the chair shall be partly sustained upon saidattachment, and the weight of the body in being shifted from one pointto another of the chair by the movement of the feet shall cooperate withthe treadle to assist in driving the machine.

To this end the specific device consists in a bar swung beneath thechair from detachable clamps, and connected at its forward end with thetreadle at such an elevation as to slightly raise the front legs of thechair, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings, A represents a sewingmachine, which is driven by theusual treadle B, and (J is a chair of any ordinary form. In the centerof this treadle, between the two foot-rests, I erect two shortstandards, a, between which is pivoted at the top a link, I).

D is a stiff bar, arranged beneath the chair, and extending forward tothe treadle, at which point it is pivoted to the lower end of theswinging link b. Said bar is connected to the chair by detachable clampsE E, which are formed of metal bars 0 and curved clamping-pieces c,which are drawn together by a set-screw, 61, passing through a slot inthe bar 0, so as to tightly clamp the rounds of the chair.

In the lower end of the forward clamp, E, is pivoted, at the bottom, aswinging and slotted arm, e, through which the bar D passes, and fromthe rear clamp, E, there depends a second pivoted and slotted arm, 0,which carries the rear end of the bar D.

In adjusting the attachment to the chair, the forward clamp is affixedto the chair sufficiently low as to throw the front legs of the chairoff the floor and cause the front part of the chair to be sustained uponthe bar D, so that the movement of the treadle causes the chair to rockslightly on its hind legs. Now, the chair being in the position shown,when the operator presses upon the toe of the treadle to depress thesame, the short link b passes to the front side of the treadle-pivot f,and in this position, just before the treadle-toe has ceased to descend,the weight of the body on the chair serves to continue the depression ofthe treadle over the balance of the are, which is the portion of thestroke that is most wearin g and straining upon the muscles. Then, asthe heel portion of the treadle is depressed, the short link passes tothe opposite side of the treadle-pivot, and the weight of the bodyserves to continue the depression of the heel of the treadle.

The weight of the body, it will thus be seen, serves to operate thetreadle for the last portion of both toe and heel movements, and as thisis the portion of the movement which is most wearing and straining uponthe muscles, the benefits of the attachment are easily seen.

This invention is applicable to all machines which are operated by atreadle, and it involves no alteration or injury to either the chair ortreadle, but may be used in connection with any of the ordinary forms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. The barD, fastened to the treadle, and connected to the chair by detachableclamps, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with a treadle and a chair, of a bar arranged tosupport the front part of the chair in a raised position, and con- 4.The combination, with the clamps E E, nected to the treadle at itsforward end and having swinging and slotted arms 0 e, of the to asupport at its rear end, substantially as bar D, the short link b, andstandards a, subdescribed. stan-tially as and for the purpose described.

3. The treadle having standards a a link I pivoted to said standard, anda horizbntally- JOSEPH UNDERWOOD' projecting bar pivoted to the link atone end, Witnesses: and adapted to utilize the weight of the open W. O.MCDUFFIE, ator, substantially as described. J. W. MCNEILL.

